Gate-bearing.



' I. G. RANKIN.

GATE BEARING. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1908.

918,698. Patented Apr. 20, 1909..

a bearing,

\ ISAAC c. RANKIN, or rULsA, OKLAHOMA.

. GATE-BEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Application filed August 24, 1908. Serial No. 449,986.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Isaac C. RANKIN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Tulsa, in the county of Tulsa and State of Oklahoma,have invented a new and useful Gate-Bearing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gate bearings.

The improved gate bearing herein described, is applicable togates slidably mounted upon a single bearing and rotatable thereon through a limited are, a gate of that type being shown in Figure 1.

The objects of the invention are, the provision in a merchantable form, of a device of the class mentioned, which shall be inexpensive in construction, facile in operation,

and devoid of complicated parts; the provi-- sion in a new and improved form. of a gate upon which the gate may be readily slid and swung, the sliding and swinging operations resulting in no deterioration of the gate, fence, or any of their component parts.

With these objects in view, together with others which a perusal of this specification will reveal to those skilled in the art, the in vention consists in the novel construction and arrangement. of parts hereinafterv described,

delineated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of the structure may be, made, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 shows in perspective, my invention attached to a gate of the general type adapted for use with my improved gate bearing. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my invention, the supporting bar 12 of the gate and the collar 8 being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of my invention taken on the line AB of Fig. 2 showing the relation between the terminal 3 of the shaft and the bracket 4.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a shaft 1, having one of its terminals 2 adapted for permanent attachment to a sup port. The shaft 1 may be of any form, preferably, however, as shown it comprises abearing 10 having an annular excision 13 and reduced terminals 2 and 3. The terminal 2 may be flattened and provided with apertures 14, through which may be passed screws, nails or other means for attaching the shaft 1 to a support. The terminal 3 is of less diameter than the bearing 10, and extends through a bracket 4, comprising as shown in Fi 3 a U-shaped body portion 5,

having its terminals 6 bent substantially at right angles to the body portion into a common plane, and provided with openings 7 through which may be passed screws or other support engaging means.

l'totatablylmounted upon the bearing is a collarB, retained against extreme lateral movement by upstanding pins 9 radially inserted in the bearing 10, or by other means adapted to the end sought to be attained. The bearing 10 should be provided with antifriction devices, and l have shown, as a proper and suitable means, the balls 11, of which there may be two sets, mounted in annular grooves 15, disposed in the bearing 10 upon either side of an annular excision 13.

It is the common practice of farmers and others upon whom the care and maintenance of fencesdevol-ve to use, instead of the gate bearing herein disclosed, a simple cleat, differing in position only, from the one designated by the numeral 16 in Fig. 1. When a cleat of this sort is employed, prodigious efi ort required'to slide the gate. Repetitions of the opening operation cause a notch to be worn into the cleat, increasing the difficulty attendant upon manipulation of the gate, the supporting bar 12, in its turn being rapidly worn away. It is frequently necessary not only to slide the gate, but as well. to swing it laterally, and when this lateral movement is attempted, the cleat, being notched as hereinbefore, described, not infrequently is broken or the lower edge of the supporting bar 12 is splintered in the operation. I prefer that, as shown in Fig. 1 one end of the shaft 1 be fastened to the front face of one of the supporting posts, and that the opposite end of the shaft 1 be fastened to the rear face of the other post. This arrangement, together with the space which separates the pins 9, permits the gate to be swung laterally, in addition to the ob viously facile sliding movement, which my bearing will permit.

hen a common cleat is used as a sup 1 porting means for a sliding and swinging gate, the friction bet-ween the cleat and the supporting bar 12 incidental to the sliding of the gate into a pivoted position where it may be swung laterally, and the sliding movement in an opposite direction to bring the latch 18 into a locked position, causes a wracking movement which loosens the posts 17 and breaks the connection between them and the fence elements which they may support. This wracking movement is obviated by the use of my invention, the rotatable collar 8, reducing to a minimum, the components of the sliding force which otherwise would be transmitted through a common cleat to the posts 17.

The bearing 10 is shown as of larger diameter than the ends 2 and 8 of the shaft. The relatively large diameters of the bearing 10 and collar 8, facilitate the rotatory move ment of the collar 8, and cause the gate to slide with greater ease than would be possible with a bearing of smaller diameter. It is obvious that the pins 9 are frequently subjected to severe strains, and the large diameter of the bearing 10 permits them to have a deep and firm socketed bearing in the member 10.

The use of a speciallyconstructed gate in connection with my invention is not con templated, and, since it is to be applied to existing structures, means should be supplied whereby the invention may be fastened to posts 17, separated in different instances by different distances. In applying my gate bearing, the terminal 2 may be spiked or screwed to one of the supports and the bracket 4 slid on the terminal 3 into a position operative to contact with the other support, and there spiked or'nailed.

I have shown and described my invention as applied to the common, longitudinally barred, farm gate, but it is applicable to any other gate construction embracing a supporting bar 12 or like surface adapted to support the gate and engage the collar 8.

Having thus described my invention, my claims are as follows:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with spaced supports, a stationing one end thereof permanently secured to one of the supports, a U shaped clip secured to the other support and arranged to receive the opposite end of the shaft, a collar jouraled on the shaft, and means carried by the shaft and disposed on opposite sides of the collar for limiting the lateral movement of said collar.

In a device of the class described, the combination with spaced supports, of a stationary shaft connecting said supports and having an intermediate enlarged portion proy ided with spaced annular grooves forming raeeuvays, a collar jolnfnaled on the enlarged portion of the shaft, pins carried, by said shaft and disposed on opposite sides of the collar for limiting the lateral movementof said collar, and anti-friction balls interposed between the shaft and collar and seated in the race-ways.

In a device of the class described, a shaft comprising a bearing and. reduced terminals; upstanding pins radially inserted in the bearing; a collar rotatably mounted upon the bearing between the upstanding pins; and antifriction devices carried by the hearing.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atlixed my s1gnai ture in the presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC G. R ANKIN.

Vitnesses JOHN S. FRENCH, IRA C. MYERs.

ary shaft connecting said supports and hav-' 

